I remember the good old 1990s. Okay, maybe NOT so good old anymore after I wrote that might be the "farewell post" for my Super Sentai blog. It was a post where I attacked IBC-13's bad scheduling of its Anime and Tokusatsu. Just in, the news that Kenji Ohba had passed away at 71 years old hit hard. It's another part of my childhood gone. It should be noted that Ucchu Keiji Gavan started its airing on March 5, 1982 -- another show that may have never made it to the Philippines thanks to the rule of the late Emperor Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Gavan aired during the 1990s. I can't pinpoint the exact time it aired on ABC-5, but I think it was before Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers aired. I felt it was the "carefree times" and times when I tried to escape reality via television.
I'd say Gavan was definitely THAT imaginary friend. Basically, the Philippines was behind with Tokusatsu especially it was the 1990s and Gavan was aired in 1982. I could say it was more than ten years. Some people might recall Kamen Rider toys at SM Toy Store or Toy Kingdom, which I felt they were my imaginary friends too. The dub called him Sky Ranger Gavan when the correct title was Space Sheriff Gavan. It was that time when I assumed that superhero shows were meant to be "stuck on status quo" -- the same way IBC-13 treated most of the Tokusatsu they aired during their time. The dub was in Tagalog. I remember failing behind the Tagalog subject, so my mother allowed me to watch some Tagalog dubs over time.
I can't remember Retsu's dub name. I think it was Gavin and Gavan. Okay, I'm practically lost in space! I could remember seeing some pieces of Ucchu Keiji Shaider on IBC-13 -- which was sadly never rescued from the IBC-13 Bad Scheduling Black Hole. Speaking of black hole, the dub mentioned tha the Makuu created a black hole of sorts. Gavan was in ther running gag of getting warped into Makuu Dimension as ordered by Don Horror. Retsu and his partner Lily often went against the crimes of the Makuu Space Syndicate.
For some reason, I always imagined the Makuu Crime Syndicate as some real life threat. Don Horror, that huge statue boss of Makuu, is ruthless but can be boring. It's not even explained how in the world Don Horror ended up immobile or how he and well, his wife Witch Kiba, conceived their sadistic son San Dorva. I thought San Dorva was the best villain while Hunter Killer was just a generic villain. Hunter Killer was banished away into the depths of space -- only to have a redemption arc. However, San Dorva and his father Don Horror got into worse teams the more the series progressed. In fact, Don Horror later disowned his son San Dorva for failing too much. I felt San Dorva was probably the biggest threat in the whole of Makuu. Sadly, San Dorva suffered from Villain Decay when he could've possibly been the greatest threat.
I didn't see the Gavan finale on television, sadly. There were some bad scheduling that had the finale aired then looped all over again. I only knew the finale when I was in college and Googled it. Yeah, that time when it was a common mistake to use Google as a source in the 2000s. The final battle between Gavan and Don Horror wasn't even epic. The finale had San Dorva have a final battle with Gavan to the death. Don Horror? Don Horror never emerged into any final form. Instead, Gavan cuts off Don Horror's head and later kills that floating head. I found that finale RATHER ANNOYING. However, Gavan managed to build up momentum for some reason.
Ucchu Keiji Sharivan never aired the Philippines for some reason. Sharivan was somehow riding on Gavan's succeses. Retsu became a secondary character and showed up in Sharivan episodes 1-6, 13-24, 34, 48 and 51. Thankfully, the show knew how to turn Retsu into a more sidelined character, as to give way for Den Iga. I only saw Sharivan as an adult. I'm probably thankful I never heard Sharivan in the Tagalog dub. Retsu was now a captain and Sharivan replaced him.
However, the finale didn't shy away from bringing Gavan back for the final battle with Demon King Psycho. There was a justification though because Demon King Psycho was able to use two bodies at once. Both bodies namely the main body (Demon King Psycho) and his mobile body Umibozu/Psychorror had to be destroyed at once. Thankfully, Gavan didn't hog the spotlight away from the hero Sharivan. Gavan would later become just a footnote in Shaider -- while having a reunion clip show. Sadly, Hiroshi Tsubaraya passed away of liver cancer on July 24, 2001, due to alcoholism that developed throughout the years.
It seemed Gavan would be silent but wait...
The legacy of Gavan somehow lived on with the new hero Geki Jumonji. Sure, we never had a direct series and the recent Gavan Infinity is apparently NOT tied to the original Gavan continuity. Before that, it should be noted we had Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Ucchu Keiji Gavan movie. Kenji returned to act as now older Retsu. Later on, the Space Sheriff Trilogy would develop their own continuity with the Next Generation movies. The idea somehow made me even detest the licensed spin-off Zaido Pulis Pangkalawan which had NO IDEA that a weekly series would've been better!
The new successor Geki had a crossover role in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters (which was blatant plain promotion) and would even return in Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger as a guest star. The two series were in 2012 (30th anniversary), and 2017 (35th anniversary). What was even stranger was this...
Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger seems to be overmilked for nostalgia movies. Kenji managed to make a guest appearance unlike the Go-Busters or the Kyuranger episodes. It was also in this year where I shamelessly bashed Power Rangers (2017) by shamelessly directly comparing it against Dekaranger vs. Gavan. Back to the topic, I felt that the Gavan movie was probably a childhood dream for some of the Dekaranger cast or perhaps even the Go-Busters cast's older members. It was also Kenji's way of giving the blessings for a younger cast.
My imaginary friend gave Retsu the successor belt to Geki. However, I couldn't view Geki as my new imaginary friend due to my age. I still feel that too bad the Space Squad movies have been discontinued as a film series and continued as a VIDEO GAME instead. Retsu is the imaginary friend from a disturbed childhood. Geki will always be just another distraction for me.
_________
One way or another, the memories will always be there. I couldn't help think of this translation of "Hoshizora no Message", Gavan's end theme:
The ones I love call out to me
When the nights weigh down on me with the burden of sadness
I lift up my eyes and gaze at the galaxies far beyond
Stop at the soft sound of the night
Don't give up on your dreams
Countless spots of light whisper
The message from the warm and gentle starry sky
Perhaps calling out my name
Loneliness makes love stronger
Believe in the day when we can meet with smiles
Please stay cheerful and well
Your face I miss so much appears in the night sky
Calling on a message from the starry sky (x2)
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